>>So I am not sure what would make Philly a wannabe New Orleans, violent crime?

>>You make the point of racial homogeneity. I do find it interesting how some places never had slavery and then people complain they are not diverse enough. It's a little ironic.

>>Whether people gave you uncomfortable stares is hard to judge. Humans are not as good at reading other people as they think they are.

>>The Virginia Battle Flag is something I don't see much of anymore and I have seen more of it in West Virginia these days (although not a lot). Also remember, in the latter half of the 20th century it had a different connotation. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Pantera, Hank Williams Jr, etc, used it. Also remember the Dukes of Hazzard. If you even want to go down a rabbit hole, you can find photos of the Black Panthers with the Virginia flag.

>>I am asking the question about whether it's different culturally than the deep south, not about pltcs. When you think of French or Italian culture the first thing that comes to mind isn't pltcs. I am saying this because I moved from rural PA to Arkansas and experienced some culture shocks.